Lath spacer



Patented Sept... d, 192% -a'rn 'cnoaen r. votenr, or oannann, canrronma.

LATE SPACER.

Application filed May a,

structures, although also useful for other.

purposes, and one of the objects of the invention is the provision of a sheet-metal spacing cap normally locked on the forward end of a nail but operatively slidable thereon for cooperating therewith for securing wire lath in outstanding relation to the wall sheathing of stucco structures.

A further object is the provision of a spacing cap having a horizontally disposed body portion supported at opposite ends by a pa1r of vertically extending leg members.

A still further object is the p-rovision'of a pair of opposed lath retaining humps or projections struck upwardly into the body portion of the cap, for holding the lath on the latter and underneath the nail head when the spacer is driven into its final position on the wall sheathingfor securing the lath thereto.

With thejforegoing and still further objects andpurposes in view which will appear v as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being under stood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of'the invention.

In the accompanying drawings-'- .Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of my improved lath spacers disposed. in engagement with theface of the wall sheathing of a stucco structure preparatory to driving it thereinto;

Figure 2 is a face view thereof; Figure 3 is a view of one of the spacers after being driven into its permanent posithe tion on the wall sheathing, with a sectionof wire lath confined between the spacing cap and nail head, and a section of stucco composition supported by the lath;

Figure l is a view on line 4l-4=, Fig. 2; Figure '5 is a view on line 5--5, Fig. 1; Figure 6 is a top plan view of the spacer 1925:. Serial lilo. H1458.

as the same would appear driven into the wall sheathing with a section of. lath seating on the spacing cap and engaged by the nail head, a portion of the nail head being shown "broken away Figure l is a cross section on line 77,

Fig.1;

Figure 8is a view on line 88', Fig. 1; Figure 9 is a view on line 9 9, Fig. 2; Figure 10 is a bottom plan view of thespacing cap and a cross sectional view of the nail shank' p v Figure 11 is a perspective view of the spacing cap removed from the'nail shank; and

Figure 12 is a face view of a blank stamp ing from which the spacing cap is formed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, throughout which like reference characters designate like parts: I i

The numeral 1 designates the wall sheath ing'of a stucco structure, which comprises ordinary boards nailed preferably in close jointed order across the face of the frame timbers of the walls and such other portions of the structure intended to receive an outer coating of stucco composition, and is pro vided on its face side with a course or layer of building paper 2. The building paper being intended to prevent exterior moisture from penetrating to the wood-work of the structure,

3 designates myv improved lath spacer, which-comprises a spacing cap a and a fastenin nail 5, the latter embodying the usualcylin rical shank 6 and flattened head 7.

lhe spacing cap 4 is formed of sheetmetal and comprises an intermediate body portion 8, which is circumferentially circular and disposed in a plane at right angles withthe axis of the shank 6 and has a cen tral opening 9, around the margin of the lower side of which is a downwardly projecting sleeve 10, and a pair of diametrically opposed supporting legs 11. The latter are arcuated in cross section andtheir lower ends are struck outwardly to provide seating lips 12 having their outer edges curved slig tly upwards.

13 designates a pair of inverted \I-shaped slits or spaces between registering edges of the legs 11, the object of which being; to provide, first, entrance means through which the plastic stucco may be spread to fill the interior of the cap, and second, to facilitill tate the upwardly kicking of the metal in forming theretaining humps or projections 14. p

The projections 14 are formed at the margin of the body portion 8 in vertical alignment with the slits 13, and are 1n-- tended, primarily,.as means for limiting the lateral movement of the lath wire 15 in one direction on said body portion, and second,

as means for strengtliening'the body por tion in cross section between the legs 11.

The loweror forward end of. the-shank 6- is intendedtto project normally short distance down through the opening 9 and sleeve 10', and the relative diameter of the shank with the opening 9 and the'inside diameter expansion of the opening 9 when the shank 6 is forcibly projected th-erethrough, as when initially placing the spacing cap on the shank. It also acts as a side brace for holding the shank in axial alignment with the spacingscap during handling of the spacer as when disposing it in position on the wall sheathing preparatory to driving it. there into. Y

The purpose of the-lips 12 is to provide the lower ends of the legs 11 with comparatively broad seating areas for engagement with the building paper 2, which the unprotected edges of the thin sheet-metal from which the legs are formed would be likely to out and damage if the lips were not provided. The lips also provide the legs with a certainamount of rigidity.

The spacer is applied for securing the lath 15 by hooking one of the humps or pro- 1ections 13 under one of the wires of the lath, with the forward end of the shank 6 disposed in engagement with the face of the sheathing 1 (see Fig. 2.), and then driving the nail. forwardly into the sheathing against the frictional resistance set up by the binding of the shank against themargin of the opening 9 and the walls of the sleeve 10.

It is obvious that in case two of the wires forming the lath 15' are disposed in sufficiently close parallel relation, a wire may be disposed on each sideof the shank 6 and the two bound .down on the body portion 8 by the hand 7.

I claim: 0 i 1. Ina lath spacer, a spacing cap including a pair of oppositely disposed supporta ing legs hollowedin cross section on one side and provided at their lower ends with outwardly projecting lips.

2. In a lath spacer, a spacing cap formed of a strip of metal having its ends bent downwardly to form a pairof legs, said legs concavo-convex in cross section and provided at their'lo'wer ends with outwardly projecting lips, the outer margin of said lips arcuated in a horizontal plane.

3. A lath spacer comprising, a spacing cap embodying abody portion provided at each end with a supporting leg, said legs arcuated in cross section and having theirffree ends curved'outwardly, and a nail d1SPOS8Cl between said legs and projecting through said body portion. i

4. A lath spacer comprising, a spacing cap comprising a body portion having at each end a downwardly projecting supporting leg and intermediate its ends a pair of retaining humps, said humps disposed in a plane extending between said legs, and a nailprojecting vertically through said body portion approximately equidistant from said legs, the head of said nail adapted to engage and bind a lath 'wire on said body portion between said nail and one of said humps when said nail is operatively driven a proper distance into thesupport against which thespacing cap is seated.

5. In means of the character described, a spacing cap embodying a body portion" disposed in a horizontal plane and provided with a central opening, supporting legs projecting downwardly from said body portion, and a pair of retaining humps projecting upwardly from said body portion, said sup-, porting legs and the axis of said opening disposed in the same vertical p1ane, said retaining humps disposed in a vertical plane extendingthrough said axis at right angles with said first named vertical plane.

6. In a'lath spacer, a spacing cap formed of a strip of metal bent intermediate its ends to form a pair of opposed downwardly projecting legs, an outwardly projecting lip on the lower end of each of said legs, the slde margins-of upper portions of said legs converging and intersecting on registering sides 1n the form of'arches, the apexes of} which forming wire retaining projections disposed in a plane at right angles with the plane of said legs. 1

7 A lath spacer comprising, a spacing cap formed of a strip of sheet metal having opposite ends bent downwardly to forma pair of opposed supporting legs, and a cooperating'nail projecting centrally through said spacing cap between said legs, said legs curved in cross section along a'plane extending approximately parallel with the periphery of said nail, the free ends of said legs disposed apart from each other, the oping retaining humps, and a nail extending edges.

posits ends of said legs intersecting at their 8. A lath spacer comprising, a spacing cap formed, of an oblong strip of sheet metal, the ends of said strip of metal bent downwardly along horizontal curves thereby i forming a pair of opposed supporting legs arcuated in cross section, the free endswof,

said legs spaced apart from each other, registering edges on -the opposite ends of said legs converging into upwardly projectthrough said spacing cap'between said legs. 9. In a lath spacer, a spacingelenient formed of a strip of metal bentinte'rmediate I its ends to form a pair of downwardly projecting legs, said legs hollowed in cross sec-,

tion on one side and provided at their lower ends with outwardly projecting lips, the upper end of the spacing element provided with an opening, means projecting downwardly from the margin of said opening,

and a nail projecting axially through said opening and engaging said a means, said means adapted for holding saidnail in axial alignment with the spacing element.

10. In combination, a spacing element formed of a strip of metalbent intermediate its ends thereby forming a pair of opposed,

downwardly projecting, legs, said legs hollowed on one side and provided at their lower ends with lips, the upper end of said spacing element having a central opening provided at its margin with downwardly projecting means arcuated in a horizontal plane, and a nail projecting vertically through said opening, said means adapted to engage opposed sides of said nail for limiting lateral tilting thereof relative to the spacing element, portions at the upper end of saidspacing element on opposlte side of said nail struck-upwardly thereby.

forming wire retaining projections, said legs disposed in a plane at right angles with the plane of said projections.

'11. In a lath spacer, a spacing element formed of a strip of metal bent intermediate its ends thereby forming a pair of opposed legs, registering edges of which converging towards their upper ends andintersecting in the form of an arch, the apex of said arch forming an upwardly extending wire retaining means, and a headed nail projecting vertically through said spacing element, the head of said nail adapted to operatively engage and bind a wire on the upper end of said spacing element against one side of said nail and along the innersi'de of said means,

said nail and means disposed in a plane at- 

